Aeroplane.



T. I. WARD. 'AEROPLANL APPLICATION FILED MAY27| 191B.

5, I918. 4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Nov.

ms an mumumu.. umsmncmn n c T. J. WARD@ AEHOPLANE.

APPLICATION Flu-:o wim/21.1918.

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Patented Nov. 5,

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'ranuras a. wann, or rrrrrin noon, nniransas. i

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` i specification of renters retest.

Application led May 27, 1915i. Serial No. 236,225.

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appert'ains` to and use the same.

My' invention relates toimprovements in aeronautics andmore particularly toheavier than air machines employing a plurality of super-imposed planes, ya" car `beneath the planes, `a plane extending rearwardly from said planes, and rudders on therear end. of the frame. rlhe principal object ofthe in vention is to provide a machine of this char acter by whose-use maximum amount `of lifting power is obtained without increasing its speed, provision being made whereby any airflowing upwardly from the edges of any `plane except the uppermost, j will be caughtl by another plane of greater size.

furtherfobject ofthe invention is to lpro- ,videa novel vframev structure so constructed as to be easily manufactured and assembled, yet extremely rigid and durable when in use. With the foregoing general objects in View, the invention `resides in the novel features of construction and unique come binations of parts to be `hereinafter fully de-y scribed and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the `accompanying drawings which form a part fthis specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved aeroplane;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections on the planes indicated by the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing more particularly the frame structure.

1n the drawings above briefly described, the numerals 1, 2 and 3 designate respectively a trio of superimposed planes, all of said planes heineof substantially square formation and being preferably curved transversely of the line of flight as shown. The lower-most plane 1 is smaller than the others, and the four edges of the intermedi of air banks.

ate plane 2 project beyond the corresponding edges of plane l, similarly, the upper plane 3, the largest of the trio, projects beyond the edges of the plane 2( arrangement, `any air i flowing upwardly around the edges of the planes 1 and 2, from the lower sides of said planes, will be caught respectively by the planes 2 and 3, so that the machineis given great supporting power on account of the comparatively small loss The three planes 1, 2 and 3 include rec tangular frames 4, 5 and 6 respectively, said frames being connected adjacent their corners and at the centers of their front and rear edges by downwardly diverging standards 7. The standards at the rear corners of the planes depend below the lower frame 4 as seen at 7 and are secured to the sides of a car 8 upon which said lower frame is secured, thus effectively bracing the entire setrof planes to said car.

rlhe car 8 may'v be of any suitable" construction for carrying the crew of the ma-x chine and the necessary material to loe used therewith, and the front end of this car is by preference pointed as shown at 8 to offer little resistance to the air. Wheels 9 are shown for use in starting and alighting, but it is obvious thats rids, or pontoons might well be employed if desired. rihe propeller 10 is preferably located `between the planes "1 andl 2 and is shown carried directly `by the shaft of an engine 11,but it will be obratentea new. a, lare.

By this vious that if desired this engine could well loeV located in the car 8, in which instance suitable driving connections such as chains would be employed for driving `the propeller. 12 and 13 respectively are mounted on the rear end of a frame `14 which extends real# wardly from the planes, and the controls for said rudders may be of any desired type located in the car 8, wires 15 being shown leading from the rudders into the car for connection with said controls.

The frame 14 is of novel construction and includes a lower pair of parallel longitudinal bars 16, an upper pair of similar bars 17, and a central longitudinal bar 18 dis-` rlhehorizontal and vertical ruddersi sides' of said frame yas illustrated most clearly in Fig. 5; the bars 17 extend rearwardly from frame 5 and the front portions of said bars form plane supporting ribs 17 .for the plane in question; and bar 18 projects froln frame 6, the front portion 18 of this bar forming one of the plane supporting ribs of the last named frame. By so connevcting the front portions of the several longitudinal bars with the superimposed planes, not only is considerable material saved, due to the double use of said front portions, but the bars are held to the plane the machine, but its speed will lportions of the longitudinal bars 16.

frames in an extremely rigid manner. The

rear ends of the bars 16 are connected by transverse horizontal bars 20 spaced lapart longitudinally of the machine and it is to the foremost of said bars 20 that the horizontal rudder 12 is pivoted, said rudder operating between the twobars 20 and the adjacei, third transverse horizontal bar 21 connects the rear end of the longitudinal bars 17, vvertical bars 22 connect the front bar 20 with the .bar 21, and an additional vertical bar 23 rises from bar 21 to the rear end of the longitudinal bar 18. The bar 23 carries the rudder 13 as shown for instance in Fig. 1. The necessary truss wires are provided wherever necessary and their particular location may be best determined by the engineer who designs the necessary plans for the manufacture of the craft.

By constructingthe machine in the manner shown and described, it will be an extremely rigid device and therefore capable of rather rough usage in all kinds of weather. Also, it will be capable of carrying heavy loads of bombs, aerial torpedoes, etc., and due to the size and relation of the planes, not only the supporting capacity of be extremely high. Since probably the best :results4 are obtained from the details shown 'and described, these are preferably followed, but

Copies of this patent may be obtained for within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane comprising a trio of superimposed planes increasing in size from the lower to the upper plane, a pair of longitudinal bars extendin rearwardly from each of the lower end intermediate planes, transverse horizontal bars connecting the rear ends of the longitudinal bars of each pair, vertical bars connecting said transverse horizontal bars, a horizontal rudder mounted on the lowermost of said transverse horizontal bars, an additional longitudinal bar extending rearwardly from the center of the upper plane, a vertical bar extending from the rear end of said central longitudinal bar to the uppermost of said transverse horizontal bars, and a vertical rudder mounted on said vertical bar.

2.An aeroplane comprising a trio of superimposed planes each having a horizontal frame, said planes increasing in size from the lower to the upper, a lower pair of longitudinal bars whose front end portions forrn the side bars of the lower frame, an upper pair of longitudinal bars whose front end portions form plane supporting ribs for the intermediate plane, a central longitudinal bar whose front end portions form a central plane supporting rib for the upper frame, all of said bars extending rearwardly from the planes, horizontal transverse bars connecting the rear ends of the longitudinal bars of each pair, vertical bars connecting said horizontal bars, a horizontal rudder mounted on the lowermost of said transverse horizontal bars, an additional vertical bar rising from the uppermost of said transverse bars to said central longitudinal bar, and a vertical rudder mounted on said additional vertical bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set THOMAS. J. WARD.

my hand.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

